Tank-car-heating apparatus



3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Patented June 14, 1921.

*INVENTOR BY 1 Z I ATTORNEYS E. A. SCHREIBER. TANK CAR HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30. 1911. 1,381,669.

g @m/d/m wlr/vijsisx A N E. A. SCHREIBER.

TANK'CAR HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30, 1911.

1,381,669. Patented June 14, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES. 25. [NI/ENTUH i m 6%7 ATTORNEY! E. A. SCHREIBER. TANK CAR HEATING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 19:7

1,381,669. Pwfientefi June -14, 1921.

I a SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOH m 1mm.

, BY JV @2042; v 4/2523! fi /MM .UYNlTED STATES EDWARD A. SGHREIIBER 'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EGBERT H. GOLD, 0F

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

rnnx-cmnmrme Arrmrns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921..

Application filed April 30, 1917.. Serial No. 165,530.

To all'whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. SCHREIBER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank-Car-Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for applying heat to the contents of a tank 62112,.

when the car is used, for example, forthe transportation of oil or the like, for the purpose of facilitating the discharge of the cargo from the tank; and a primary object of the invention is to provide'a tank car heating apparatus of this type which will be simple and inexpensive in its construction andlof which the parts will be capable of self adjustment to compensate for expansion and contraction when the heating medium is turned on or shut off.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in which, so far as possible, the apparatus is located outside of the car making it more accessible, in installation and repair, and minimizing the space which the apparatus occupies within the tank and the extent to which it obstructs the outflow of the oil when it is discharged. A further object is to so arrange the apparatus that it will present the least possible ob struction to the discharge'of the cargo. A; further object is to provide a heating apparatus for a tank car so constructed and arranged as to minimize the danger of injury to the apparatus due to variations, in configuration of thetank which may result either from weather'changes or the loading or unloading of the tank. p The invention consists in the constructions and arrangements to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other'inciden tal'objects as will appear from the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panyingdrawings, in certain preferred embodiments.

' Figure 1 is a sectional plan of a tank car fitted with a heating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a ,vertical sectional view of the car.

thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation.

tional view of Fig. Z being taken on line 7? of Fig. 8.

.Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the draw- III R eferi-ing first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 10 indicates the tank and 11 the portion of the under frame of the car on which the tank is supported in any suitable manner. 12 is the opening through which the oil is discharged and '13 the valve for closing this opening which is manipulated by rod 14 having a hand wheel 15.

The heating apparatus consists, in the embodiment shown, of two heating units A and B. A single unit might be employed or the number multiplied without departure from my invention. These heating units extend opposite sides of the discharge opening 12 PATENT orricsp and somewhat above the bottom of the tank in which said opening is located. The heating units are rigidly connected to the tank structure atone end. The opposite ends'are unattached and the support of the units at intermediate points is such as to permit free expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. I

Each unitcomprises preferably an inflow pipe 16, the outer end'of which is threaded of a header 19 or 19, as the case may be, which is arranged over an aperture 20 in the end wall 21- of tank 10. The unit comprises,

further, a return pipe 22which surrounds .flange 2 l'which is secured to the tank by a circle-of rivets 25.

26 is a steam supply pipe leading to a T 27 connected with a boss 17 of header 19.-

The corresponding boss of header 19? is connected with the T 27 by a telescopic union preferably constructedas follows (Fig. 3) 28 is a pipe section threaded into the T 27 V at one end and into a sleeve 29 at the other into a boss 17 formed on theouter wall 18 with the boss 17 of header 19*, the other end of which extends into sleeve 29 SO as to have v a sliding engagement therewith. cap which screws onto sleeve 29 and holds 32 isa in place a packing 32. A discharge pipe 34, 35 provided with a telescopic union 36 similar to the union above described,- and similarly placed, conducts the water of'condensation from the spaces 37 within the headers to the steam trap 38.

The return pipes 22 are supported at suitable intervals by brackets 39 fastened to the bottom of the tank, the brackets being curved'at 40 to receiveethe pipes which are held in place by straps 511 secured to the brackets by bolts 42. The inner or in-fiow 'pipes 16 are held in place by spacers 13 (Fig. 5). The ends of the return pipes remote from the headers are closedby caps 44 while the corresponding ends of the inflow pipes are open.

Operation: When the car reaches its destination the steam is introduced into the heating units through supply pipe 26. The medium flows through pipes 16 and back through pipes 22. Water of condensation is discharged through steam trap 38. The pipes 16 and 22' have a rigid attachment only at one end. The pipe 16 is free to move with respect to pipe 22 which incloses 1t. The pipe 22 may expand and contract freely as its support on the tank is a sliding one. The outside pipe 22,.before the steam 1s turned on, may be held fast in. the congealed oil, asphaltum, or the like. VVh'en the steam comes into contact with it it will expand quite rapidly, but no injury results i as the pipe will become freed from the cargo -40 detach the outer pipes from their supports, I

if this becomes necessary.

' 1n the modified construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 ,the end sheet 45 of the tank is provided with a single aperture 46 in which is located aheader 47 having a flange 48 riveted to the outside of the end sheet. This header is formed with an elongated boss 1.9 in which is formed a recess 50. The in-fiow pipes 51 are threaded into opposite ends of the boss 49. Supply pipe 52 is threaded into the outer wall of the header at the middle of recess 50. The header is also formed with a recess chamber 53 and the return pipes 54 are screwed into the inner wall 55 of the header so as to communicate with the recess 53. 56 is the discharge pipe for draining water of condensation from recess53.

I claim:

1. In a tank car, the combination with a tank, of a heating apparatus comprising a radiating unit positioned in the tank lengthwise thereof, a header secured to the end wall nof the tank to which one end of said radiating. unit is rigidly attaehed, the other end of the same'being free fromattaehment to the tank, means associated with the header for introducing heating medium into and discharging the same from the radiating unit and means for slidably supporting said radiating unit at points intermediate its ends. 1

2. In a tank car, the combination with a tank the end wall of which is formed with an aperture, of a heating apparatus comprising a radiating unit positioned in the tank lengthwise thereof, a header secured to the end'wall of the tank over-said aperture to which oneend of said radiating unit is rigat the place where expansion begins and as i y attached, the end of the Same this end of the pipe is not attached rigidly to the car there is nothing to check its free expansion. By providing the supply and discharge pipe connections between the headers with telescopic unions the expansion and contraction of-these pipe sections or of the headers themselves, does not tend to distort the riveted connection between the headers and the end sheet of the tank as might otherwise 'be the case. This arrangement 1s advisable also because the tank will change its shape'somewhatwith variations in temperature and when subjected to and relieved from the weight of the cargo. By

cutting the. rivets which fasten the headers being heavy will escape so that it will be safe for the workmen to enter the tank to ing free from attachmentto thetank, means associated with the header for introducing heating medium into and discharging the same from the radiating unit and means for slidably supporting said radiating unit at points intermediate its ends.

3. In a tank car, the combination with a tank, ofa heating apparatus comprising a radiating unit positioned in the tank lengthwise thereof composed of an inflow pipe, a

. return ip'e and a header secured to the end wall of the tank to which said inflow and return pipes are rigidly connected at one end, the other ends of said pipes being free from attachment; means for slidably supporting said radiatingvunit intermediate its ends and-supply and .discharge pipes on the outside of the tank connected with said headerso as to communicate with said inflow and return pipes, respectively.

, 4. In a tank car,,the combination with a tank, the end wall of which is formed with an aperture, of a'hollow header secured to the outside of the end wall so as to cover said aperture, an inflow pipe. secured to the outer wall of said header, a return pipe secured to the inner wall thereof and sur roundlng and substantially concentric with said inflow pipe, means for supporting said pipes intermediate their ends which permit their expansion and contraction and supply and discharge pipes on the outside of the tank connected with said header so as to communicate with said inflow and return pipes,-

respectively.

5 In a tank car, the combination with a tank, of a heating apparatus comprising a radiating unit positioned in the tank lengthwisethereot composed of an inflow pipe,-

a return pipe and a header secured to the outside of the end wall of the tank to which I said inflow and return pipes are rigidly connected at oneend, the other ends of said pipes being free from attachment, supply and dlscharge pipes on the outside of the tank connected with said header so as to communicate with said inflow and return pipes, respectively, and means within the tank providing a sliding support for said radiating unit.

outer wall of said header, a return pipe secured to the inner wall thereof and surrounding said inflow pipe, supply and dis said headers for the circulation of medium from each header back to the same, a supply pipe on the outside of the car rigidly connected with one of said. headers and having a telescopic connection with the other header, and a discharge pipe on the outside of the car having a rigid connection with one of said headers, and a telescopic connection with the other header.

8. In a tank car, the combination with a tank having an outlet opening in the bottom and an aperture at one end thereof, of a 4 header secured to the outside of said tank over said aperture and formed with inlet and discharge passages, an inflow pipe secured at one end to said header and com:

pipe being attached at one endto said header in communication with the discharge passage thereof, the other end being closed, means associated with said header for supplying a heating medium to and discharging said medium from said header through its inlet and discharge ports, respectively, and means for supporting said pipes so that they may freely expand and contract.

9. In a tank car, the combination with a tank having an outlet opening in the bottom and an aperture at one end thereof, of a header secured to the outside of s'a-idtank over said aperture and formed with inlet and-discharge passages, an inflow pipe secured at one end to said header and communicating withthe inlet passage thereof, a return pipe surrounding the inflow pipe with which the latter communicates, said return pipe being attached at one endv to said header in communication with the discharge.

passage thereof, the other end being closed,

means associated with said header for supplying a heating medium to and discharging said medium from said header through its inlet and discharge, ports, respectively, and supports for the outer pipe which are at tached to the tank walls at points out of line with said outlet opening whereby the cargo may flow unohstructedlyalong the bottom of the tank to said outlet opening.

10. In a tank-car, the combination with a tank having an aperture in the wall thereof,

of a header secured to gthe outside of the tank over said aperture and formed with inlet and discharge passages, an inflow pipe secured at one end to said header and 00111 municating with the inlet passage thereof, a

return pipe surrounding said inflow pipe with which the latter communicates, said return pipe being attached at one end to said header in communication with the discharge passage thereof, the other end being closed, means associated with said header for supplying a heating medium toand discharging saidmedium from said header through its inlet and discharge ports, respectively, and means for supporting said pipes so that they may freely expand and contract.

11. In a tank car, the combination with a tank, of a radiating unit supported slidably within the tank comprising an inflow pipe and a return pipe surrounding the inflow pipe with which the latter communicates, and means outside the tank 'for rigidly connecting said pipes at one end ofthe unit to said tank which provides passages to and from said pipes forthe introduction therento and the discharge therefrom of a heating meduinn 12. In a tank car, the combination with a tank, of a radiating unit supported slidably within the tank comprising an inflow pipe and areturn pipesurrounding the inflow pipe with which the latter communicates, and means outside the tank for rigidly connecting said pipes at one endof the unit to said tank which provides passages to and from said pipesfor the introduction thereinto and the discharge therefronrof a heat ingmedium, said means comprising supply municates, supply and dis'charge pipes for introducing heating medium into and dis-- charging thesa'me from'saidtunits, said supply and discharge pipes being provided with, telescopic expansion joints. between their connections with said units,and means out side of the tank for rigidly connecting the inflow pipes and return pipes of the units a at one end'thereof, in each case, to said tank and for providing passages between the inflow and return pipes and said supply and discharge pipes, respectively.

14c. In a tank car, the combination with a tank, of a pair of heating units arranged within the tank with their extremities pro-- ecting through one end of the same, eachunit comprising an'inflow' pipe and-a return pipe surrounding the-inflow pipe with which the latter communicates means 'for rigldly connecting said pipes at one end to the tank,

means for supporting'the pipes within the tanks, so that they are free to expand and contractya supply pipe connected with the 'inflow pi'pes of both units, and a discharge. pipe connected with'the return pipes of both units'ysaid supply and discharge pipes being 'proyided'iwith telescopic joints-between their f points of-connection with-said units;

1'5.v In a tank cargthe combination with a tank having an aperture in the end wall- I thereof, ofa'header secured" to the outsideof .the tank over said aperture and .formed with inlet and discharge passages, a heating ele-' rnent extending lengthwise through the car attached to said header and havin and return ducts communicating wlth said inlet anddischargepassages, respectively, H

of the header, means for supplymg a heating medium to and discharging the same from the header through said inlet and discharge. passages,-'respectively, and means for supporting'theheating element so that it may freely expand and contract.

" EDWARD A. SCHREIBER. 

